Dress like a slob

2006 October 18

I meant to have this done yesterday, but it didn’t happen. It has to do with a column in the free Metro I get on the subway. The writer advocates a “dress code in some form”. In my opinion, until we get into the silver lamé jumpsuits (of Forbidden Planet and Lost in Space) or the more appropriate fashions of Star Trek, I think we should get a lot of leeway in how we decide to attire ourselves. I know people (h!, RLP and Wild Erbunch, to name a few) who really like to wear suits and dress up, where I prefer to dress down. T-shirts and cargo shorts are my predominant choice, with jeans coming in a distant second. I wear shirts with collars for work, but I try to ensure they can remain untucked. Cords, not dress pants. Ties, not a chance. Jackets, what_ever_.

I tried, Gwildor can attest, that I tried to wear decent clothes to work. What did it get me? I ridiculously high dry cleaning bill. That’s all. I didn’t feel better about myself; I didn’t perform any better at work. Why? Because it’s a frivolous activity. As the article writer mentions, maybe people could consider their environment when choosing clothing for a particular event, e.g., no hockey jerseys or NASCAR apparel, but that won’t necessarily mean suits and no jeans. I dress comfortably and have yet to feel inappropriately attired at any function.